Why Zika is scary: spreads further and faster than other viruses

The Zika virus diverts cells to spread throughout the body, paralyzing the immune system in a way that mosquito-borne diseases do not cause.

According to a new study, which mapped Zika's alarming behaviors inside human hosts.

Even in the deadly Dengue virus, scientists normally see infected cells paralyzed in the bloodstream.

But researchers at Florida State University have found that cells infected with Zika retain their ability to move. and inhibit the biological mechanisms of these cells that protect the immune system.

The team hopes that the discovery could lead to the development of more measures to protect people from the deadly and destructive virus.

Dr. Hengli Tang, Professor of Postdoctoral Researcher Jianshe Lang decided to compare the Zika virus and the dengue virus.

Dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes, such as the Zika virus, which causes dengue fever and is characterized by rashes and flu-like symptoms. fever, headache and vomiting.

According to the World Health Organization, the virus can sometimes result in a life-threatening condition called severe dengue fever.

Zika is caused by the same mosquito responsible for the transmission of virus D and West Nile virus. Those who contract the disease experience fever, rashes, headaches, and muscle or joint pain.

A January CDC report indicated that one in 10 pregnant women with confirmed infections of the Zika virus had a fetus or a baby defect.

The study looked at one million births in 15 US states in 2016 to find conbad anomalies possibly badociated with Zika.

About half of these babies are born with brain abnormalities in addition to the small size of the head, called microcephaly.

Researchers at Dr. Johns Hopkins' Dr. Tang and were the first to link Zika with microcephaly. It is not properly developed resulting in poor motor function, bad speech and convulsions.

In addition to viruses that spread in the same way and share similar symptoms, both have genetic material organized in the same way.

"We were really looking at a specific aspect," Tang said.

Does the Zika virus reach more sites because of its ability to spread better in the body than dengue fever?

The team found that Zika is able to spread the virus throughout the body where Dengue and other viruses are stopped because of white blood cells called macrophages.

Macrophages Detect and Destroy Bacteria and Other Harmful Organisms Including Cell Debris and Cancer Cells

Usually, cells detect foreign viruses in the bloodstream and attack them. This is the case of the Dengue virus, but Zika is able to bypbad this protection system.

The team cultured macrophages from stem cells and then exposed them to the Zika virus or dengue virus.

When they were infected with dengue fever, macrophages froze to fight the virus. But with Zika, the cells could move.

"They hitchhike macrophages to other parts of the body," Tang says.

"Now the question is, with the increased ability to spread throughout the body.In the body, does the Zika virus also use these infected macrophages to cross the placental barrier, the blood-brain barrier? -enccephalic and the testicular barrier?

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